Preventing Urinary Incontinence May Have Just Gotten a Lot Easier

Making a friend laugh so hard she cries out "Stop, stop! I'm gonna pee my pants!" may be funny in the moment, but it's actually an indicator of a health condition that millions of American women are too embarrassed to talk about. Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is the most common type of urinary incontinence in women, and occurs whenever extra pressure is put on your bladder, such as when you cough, sneeze, laugh or run.

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Enter a new over-the-counter product from Poise called Impressa. Shaped and inserted just like a tampon, Impressa expands and provides support to the bladder so that it doesn't leak when pressure is placed on it. There are three different sizes to ensure the right fit, and because it doesn't actually block the urethra, you can still go to the bathroom while wearing it. It can be worn for eight hours at a time at any point during the day or night, but it shouldn't be worn while you're on your period.

Although one of the best ways to stop or reduce SUI episodes is to make some healthy lifestyle changes (embrace the power of kegel exercises, ladies!), this may be a game-changing way to manage unwanted leaks in the meantime. The FDA has cleared Impressa for SUI management, and Poise claims that nine out of 10 women said their bladder leakage was reduced or stopped when they used the supports. Check out the video for more info: